Amandla Stenberg talks gender and Chanel for InStyle

The teen activist, actor and style icon Amandla Stenberg chatted about what it took for her to figure out her own style in an interview with InStyle during Paris Fashion Week.

Known as much for her political activism unrelenting dedication to push young adults to express themselves and speak out about the things that matter the most as for for her breakthrough role in The Hunger Games, where she played Rue.

On Chanel

“Something that Mademoiselle Chanel did so well was to utilise the power of comfort to make beautiful statements and craft intricate pieces of fashion. That’s something I try to cultivate. How to use fashion and how to use comfort, for me, a lot of times [means] dressing like a boy … and how to intermingle that with a sense of personal flare and attention to detail. That’s something that [Chanel] did masterfully.”

On fashion and gender

“I think something that was a huge limitation for me was gender. I thought that I had to dress a certain way in order to appear female, in order to subscribe to certain beauty standards, in order to look pretty. And once I lifted that limitation off of myself of trying to look digestible, especially to the male gaze, it was a lot easier for me to find what style actually suited me. I was able to recognise that gender is a construct and my clothing can look like whatever I want. At the end of the day, it’s fabric draped over your body. [When I realised that] I was able to actually recognise when I do enjoy women’s fashion. Chanel is one of those brands that I feel comfortable in. It doesn’t make me feel like I’m trying to fit into a box that doesn’t feel natural to me. That’s super rare for a luxury brand.”